Saturday, May 24, 2014

South Dakota Suit Challenges Ban on Same-Sex Marriage

On Thursday, six couples filed a lawsuit in federal district court in South Dakota challenging the constitutionality of South Dakota's constitutional and statutory ban on same-sex marriage. The complaint (full text) in Rosenbrahn v. Daugaard, (D SD, filed 5/22/2014), contends that the ban violates the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment, and that the refusal to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere also violates plaintiffs' right to travel. As reported by AP, South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says that he is obligated by law to defend the state's ban. With the filing of this lawsuit, only North Dakota with a ban on same-sex marriage that has not been challenged in the courts.